“Want some gum?”
by DubbleV
Summary: She feels left out, and just wants a day to relax and think to herself. But getting lost may have been the best thing for her when Duncan gives her a little lesson. One shot.


--

Since I'm back for the summer I wanted to do a O/S, just for the heck of it. I'll be working on my stories I promise but I just want to write something other than The New School for a change.

And Rawr = I love you in dinosaur!

Rawr.

--

It was hot. And windy…or so she had hoped. All she wanted was a big gust of wind to hit her in the face right now to cool her off. She could go swimming…no. Bridgette and Geoff are there, and Courtney didn't want to feel like the third wheel..again. She felt invisible around the two of them. She felt weird talking to any of the campers…

Courtney sighed and leaned back against the steps of her teams' cabin and listened to the sounds around her. It was sort of peaceful for once.

"AHH! OWEN! I DON'T WANT A HUG! AND PUT SOME CLOTHES ON! GOSH!!"

Harold high-pitched scream threw Courtney's thoughts off course.

Well, that tranquil moment was ruined.

She decided to just get up and go for a walk, after all, this WAS the only free day they would have for a while. Slowly she got up, wiped her pants of any dirt, straightened her vest, and walked forward, not caring where she was headed.

--

She passed a tree, then another. Then other. About five more…then she thought she saw the same tree she passed before…then she went in circles…and now…now she was lost.

"No. No this isn't right!…I wasn't here before! Ugh…nice going CIT…"

It was still the middle of the day, and the walk she wanted to go on wasn't as peace as she had planned. Now that she thought about it…she was PLANNING a time to relax. That seemed sort of stupid…but she put that in the back of her mind to think about latter.

She sat down on a sort of log and looked around her. It was…peaceful in a way. Birds, grass, dirt, twigs, dirt, bugs, dirt…more bugs, a lot of dirt…more bugs.

Oh yeah, real calming.

She sat up from the log and backed away, wiping her pants to be sure.

She had never gotten lost before…maybe one at the store with her mom, but that was the only time she was sure. Her mom taught her after that to stay with the group, wither it was with her mom, or with a bunch of people, things end badly if you just wander off.

"I should have stayed at the camp then." The CIT scowled, biting her lip. She started walking again, hoping to find where she was going. But she wanted to be alone…

…Where was she going?

--

You couldn't exactly call this woods, or even a forest. There where just a lot of trees…and bugs…and dirt…and bugs…and dirt.

Oh great. Don't freak yourself out again Courtney…

Once more she looked around, as if hoping to find something she saw before, a tree…a rock…a bug? She really wish she hadn't just walked away from the camp.

That got her thinking…what if video camera guys followed her out here? No they wouldn't do that! Would they? It's everyone's day off…

Now you're getting paranoid.

She backed into a tree, sighed, and sat on the ground, back still against it.

"This isn't exactly how I wanted to relax." She spoke quietly to herself. Then, she closed her eyes, maybe just to get a moment of peace.

SNAP. CRUNNCHH. SNAP..

Her eyes flew open quickly. It WAS video camera guy! …maybe. She wasn't sure. She slowly arose and stood still waiting for more noises.

CRUNCHH, SNAA-

What if it was an animal? A chipmunk maybe? No. It sounded bigger than a chipmunk…maybe a squirrel?

SNAPP! SNAP.

She felt her breath getting shorter, but coming out more. What was making that noise? The bent down and grabbed a stick, gripping it in her hands. "Come on Miss CIT…" she was frightened…

The noise suddenly stopped, as if reflex she jumped away from the tree and was prepared to hit what ever stood there. Soon she stood flabbergasted, dropping the stick.

"You're not a squirrel…" Courtney stated, looking quite confused.

Great timing Courtney…great timing.

"Honestly, I don't know how to respond to that…that's the weirdest hello I have ever gotten…but hi princess." The man smirked, making Courtney glare innocently.

Duncan…

She tried to stand up straight, and act like nothing had been happing at all…

"So," she started nonchalantly, looking up at his teal eyes, "What are you doing out here…"

He scoffed, leaning against the tree moments ago she was hiding behind, "I was about to ask you the same thing sweetheart, I just decided to take a walk. And what are _you_ doing here?" He looked suspicious, but in a casual way. She only smiled politely.

"A girl can't take a walk out here?"

"It looked more like you where hiding…" He stated, moving closer to her, she didn't bother to notice.

"I was not hiding…I was sitting. I wanted to get away from the camp, but apparently I cant get a moments piece…" she cooed, poking his chest. He chuckled.

"What's so funny ogre?!"

"Nothing, I just found it weird that you-" He stopped his sentence, "…aren't with Bridgette."

"What where you really going to say Duncan?" She asked inquisitively, also leaning against the tree. He looked bother for a moment, the continued.

"Nothing Princess."

"What where you going to say Du-"

"-Want some gum?"

She paused, neither of them looking at each other.

"What?"

"Do you want some gum? I'm sorry, I forgot when your confused to use little words…Do. You. Want. A. Piece. Of. Gum?"

She scoffed, "your so funny Duncan."

"I meant to be funny about the confused part, but I really was offering you gum." He stated, laughing a little, she still didn't want to meet his eyes.

"Oh…sure I guess."

Two sticks of gum landed in her lap.

"I only want one…"

"Just take two."

"What's with the mister nice guy act?"

"What? I cant be nice to some one?"

"I never said that!" she finally met his eyes, her eyes most likely looked like flames at this point, "I meant…you don't usually do this sort of thing."

"Change is good, Princess."

This threw her off for a second, but shook it off and opened the gum wrapper and plopped the gum into her mouth.

It was really good. Why was it so good? It was just regular gum…maybe it was different because…Duncan gave it to her? No…no that makes no sense…

"So, what are you really doing out here?" He asked once more, resting his head on the tree. She chewed for a moment.

"I told you, just took a walk."

"Why where you freaked when I came here?"

She paused, why was she scared? "…I just…wasn't expecting anyone…I was expecting to take a walk to relax but…"

He shrugged and stood up, offering her his hand. "Let's walk then."

--

As the sky got a little darker, it cooled down, letting cold breezes flow around the wind. A breeze hit Courtney's face and she smiled. Duncan didn't understand why she was so happy, but he just looked around.

"I don't get you." He finally said after a long moment. After she laughed to herself, she realized this was sort of a question.

"…Well your not exactly a quick study either Duncan."

He shook his head, "Your bossy, arrogant, loud, annoying, smart…But then…Your sad."

That was silly. "I'm not sad? What makes you think I'm sad?"

They both didn't realized they stopped walking.

"Princess, your sad. You hide it behind all the leadership, the arrogance, the facts…but lets _face_ the facts: your not happy. "

She backed away from him, smiling stupidly, "Your not acting like yourself."

"I know. But listen, I think I'm right here. I notice things around here. I notice the friends, the enemies, the neutrals, the fights, the couples, and most importantly: the people. You think the things you need to learn are only in a text book."

"Excuse me!?"

"It's a fact Princess. You have the smarts up here," he tapped her head, "But not people skills. You try to hind what your thinking, and you try to escape what's going on around you."

She bit her lip, why was HE, of all people, giving her a life lesson on PEOPLE?! " I do NOT escape what's going on around me!"

"Then explain this: you and Bridgette are best friends here, and lately where ever she goes or who ever she's with, your detached, even when she asks you places with her?"

"Its because of Geoff! I'm not going to be a third wheel."

She could tell he was getting angry, so she backed into a tree, where his arms pinned each side of it. "Third wheel? She asks you to join them all the time, and I can tell it bugs her that you're not around."

It was quiet for a few moments, her body felt numb for some reason, just starring into his eyes. She found the strength to lift her hand and place a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

"Why are you telling me this?" she finally spoke. He answered simply,

"…I hate seeing people sad. I don't have a clue why…it explains why I helped get DJ's bunny back…I hated seeing him sad…but I'm sick of seeing Malibu Barbie depressed, and I hate it when you feel detached."

He suddenly let go of the sides of the trees. She noticed that they where right next to the camp, which surprised her.

"Remember Princess, you can't find life in a text book or in the sky all the time. It doesn't work that way."

Before Courtney could respond, Duncan was already walking back up to camp. She noticed her mouth was slightly agape, so she shut it quickly, realizing she just bit onto her gum. She sighed and wrapped her arms around herself, thinking quietly. Slowly a soft smile appeared on her face.

--

"Hey Bridgette!"

a blond headed girl jumped at someone saying her name, she turned and smiled happily.

"Courtney! Gah, sorry. I would hug you but im soaking wet right now. I just got back from surfing with Geoff."

Courtney smiled as she closed the cabin door, "Aw, well…I was going to say Katie and sadie and I where going to take a late night swim…and I wanted you to come…and since your already wet your half way there…"

Bridgette laughed, then looked at Courtney for a moment, "Alright, let's go!"

Courtney nodded happily, walking to her trunk to get her swim suit. She took out a box that was sitting inside so she could get to her swim wear.

"Oops, I forgot my bag outside, Ill be back in a sec."

"'Kay." Courtney responded, looking and the suits carefully. She picked a green one and laid it on her bed, she slipped into it quickly and put away her clothing, first her shirt. As she went to put her pants in her clothing chest she noticed something in her pocket, she reached in and took out what was in there.

"COURTNEY COME ON LETS GO!"

"LIKE, YEAH!"

"I'm coming girls hold on!" Courtney said, smiling to herself. She took one long look at the wrapped up stick of gum, then opened the small box she took out of the chest and opened to. Inside where items and pictures she collected from camp, such as pinecones, pictures of all the kids of camp on the first day, and a small bottle of sand from the beach. She placed the gum in the box and put it back in the chest. Bridgettes head popped in.

"what's taking so long? Lets go!"

She smile and ran out the door, "your right, come on!"

--

As they walked to the beach Bridgette looked at her, "We haven't hung out lately, what changed your mood?"

Courtney set down her towel, and looked back at her, and then shrugged, "Change is good."

As she Sadie this she imminently jumped into the water, splashing cold water onto Sadie and Katie, making them yelp out as Sadie held on tightly to her duck flotie.

--

A/N

My first one shot of the summer.

It was long…

Idk why I wrote it, hope you don't hate it to much. I just wanted Duncan to somehow teach Courtney something.

I'm sleepy…why am I still talking…

Or would this be typing…?

You know what's weird?

When I wrote this I spelled "squirrel" wrong

Twice.

When I spell checked it I was like "WTF?"

Now I'm listening to Chinese music.

Ha. I almost wrote Chinese cookie.

Like a fortune cookie.

Shutting up now :X

Review 333

Rawr.


End file.
